Warning labels for social media

Social Media = Cigarettes? That's the stark comparison made by US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who is advocating for a warning label on social media platforms to address what he calls an "emergency" mental health crisis among youth. This isn't surprising and, in many ways, it's overdue. The mental health community has been raising alarms for years, and it's clear we need more than just conversations—we need action, and we need it now. Graphic warnings on cigarette packs have evolved since their inception in 1966, but it took a multi-faceted approach: stricter laws, smoke-free policies, health education campaigns, tobacco taxes, advertising restrictions, and more. Many believe a similar strategy should be applied to social media usage among today's youth. Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores this in his book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness,” suggesting that children should have minimal or no access to smartphones or social media until they are 16. As more data emerges on the adverse effects of social media and smartphones on children's brains, health, and behavior, these ideas may no longer seem controversial. What do you think the future holds, and what steps should we take to protect today's youth?

The Surgeon General recently recommended warning labels on social media to address its impact on teen mental health. Studies reveal teens using social media over three hours daily face double the risk of depression and anxiety. With 95% of teens on social media, over a third use it almost constantly, exacerbating mental health issues like body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and sleep problems. In many ways, this recent report simply confirms what we already knew. Will warning labels make a difference? How do we appropriately limit social media time? https://lnkd.in/e8CNEPK8 #MentalHealth #TeenWellbeing #SocialMedia #SurgeonGeneral #Depression #Anxiety #YouthMentalHealth #TechAwareness #adolescentmentalhealth

Wow wow wow. The last half of this piece really struck me. “There is no seatbelt for parents to click, no helmet to snap in place, no assurance that trusted experts have investigated and ensured that these platforms are safe for our kids. There are just parents and their children, trying to figure it out on their own, pitted against some of the best product engineers and most well-resourced companies in the world.” My oldest is turning 10 this summer so I feel like I’m just entering this world as a parent. With my career in social media and my husbands previous career as a high school teacher, we have no plans to give our daughter a phone or any kind of social media until well into high school. It feels very black and white and easy for us right now. I know it will be harder and harder to hold to it as she grows up. I’m curious your thoughts on if a Surgeon Generals Warning would be helpful? Interesting in the article that “When asked if a warning from the surgeon general would prompt them to limit or monitor their children’s social media use, 76 percent of people in one recent survey of Latino parents said yes.” Link to a non-paywall reference in the comments. https://lnkd.in/gS-449PE #socialmedia #mentalhealth

I wholeheartedly support this effort. I suggest going even further and banning social media for kids. These platforms (TikTok, X, Instragram, Snap, Facebook) are highly addictive, and not monitored for safety. Kids are at a sensitive stage of development - impulse control, maturity, brain development, courage, identity, self-image, thick skin, time management, emotional control, civic sense, and so much more. These platforms are not geared for minds that are still developing.

As a pediatric hospitalist, I never imagined that my daily topic of conversation would become behavioral health. Yet, now in my new role: this is not A topic…but THE topic. How do we improve access to behavioral healthcare for kids. Loved this opinion piece by our surgeon general explaining his next platform….requiring a warning label on social media. This is a great reminder that improving access is not simply about training and hiring more clinicians…but getting to the root cause of what is behind this epidemic. And that’s preventative healthcare. https://lnkd.in/eafHcAzA

https://lnkd.in/eGvMP88w Interesting development. Will it have any affect? Why limit warning to teens? Are all Social Media platforms equally “dangerous?” Is this start of censorship for our own good?